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In truth, since my Xbox 360 days, Xbox has held a special place in my heart. It's the console that led me to find my best gaming friends through all of my not-so-worldly expeditions on Xbox Live. Plus, I'm grateful Xbox Game Pass kept me connected to them when I couldn't afford new games.

While my console heart now lies elsewhere, I still think about some of my favorite Xbox-only features that I wish I could carry to my PlayStation 5 (now my primary console). One is the value of Xbox Game Pass, and the other is the controller. Then, of course, given my anxiety about Sony's disc-less future, I've become much more appreciative of how consistent Xbox's backward compatibility program has been.…